Improvement in packing for well-tubes



UNITED STATES PATENT QEEICE.

P. SIGOURET, 0F SARAGOSSA, SPAIN.

l IMPROVEMENT IN PACKING FOR WELL-TUBES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 49,599, dated August 2Q, 1865.

To all whom t may concern:

Beit known that I, PEREGRINE SIGOURET, of Saragossa, in the Kingdom of Spain, have invented a new and useful Improvement in, Apparatus for Packing the Tubes of Oil and other Wells 5 and I do hereby declare th at the following is a full and correct description of the same, which will enable persons skilled in the art to make and use the same, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l is an axial section of an apparatus made according to my invention, the view being taken when it is drawn ont or elongated.

Figa 2 is a peripherical view taken when the apparatus is compressed, as when itis applied to pack the tube of an oilwell. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus when compressed.

The object of this invention is to produce a packing apparatus for oil and other deep wells which may be applied when the tube is in the well and removed without disturbing the tube. It consists, in general terms, of an upper and lower head or collar, each consisting ot' an annular plate of metal, between which are placed annular plates or rings of leather, felt, rubber, gutta-percha, or other elastic or tlexible substance, which rings are connected to each other along their outer and inner edges in alternation, the tirst and last of the series being also connected severally to the said metallic rings. By drawing out the apparatus lengthwise the rings are drawn asunder in angular directions, and their edges consequently approach a common vertical line in proportion to the greatness ofthe angle made between adjacent rings. By letting the rings come together their edges resume their places in a horizontal plane, in which position their inner and outer edges touch the sides ofthe well-tube and of the well respectively.

In packing the tubes of oil-wells with seedbags it is found to be difiicnlt to break away the packing when the tube is to be drawn out to repair the pump, or for other reasons, the tube sometimes bein g broken in the well by reason of the resistance of the packing, in which case the well is necessarily abandoned. On this account it is desirable that the packing be made so that it can be removed and replaced at pleasure, to allow the tube to be withdrawn from and replaced in the well. My invention is designed to supply such a packing, which will be found to be a great improvement upon the several methods practiced ot' expanding split metallic rings and fibrous and other flexible packings by mere compression between collars, independent of any precise arrangement for the folding or settling' of the material to be expanded.

A and B designate strong annular metallic plates or collars of a diameter a little less than that of the well to be operated. Their central openings are to be a little greater than the outer diameter of the well-tube. They are connected severally to the-upper and lower ones of a series ot'annular plates or rings of leather, indiarubber, gutta-percha, felt, cloth, or other flexible or elastic substance, the edges of which rings are firmly connected to each other air and water tight in alternation-that is to say, the outer edges otl two adjacent rings are secured to each other, and the inner edges of the same rings arc connected severally to the inner edges ofthe rings next above and next below, so that the said rings which are adjacent can be drawn apart in the manner seen in Fig. l.

The outer edge ot` the ring which lies next to the collar A is iirmly secured by bolts or otherwise to the said collar, and the outer edge of that ring which is next tothe collar B is in like manner secured to that collar. The outer edges ofthe annular plates (designated bythe letter d) are to be very firmly united, as are also their inner edges, c.

ln this example of myinvention l have shown the annular plates or rings a to be made of leather, and have united their edges by strong stitching. Their outer diameter, when they are ilat, as in Figs. 2 and 3, atwhich timethey are also close together, is a little greater than the diameter of the well, wherefore their outer edges, d, will then be crowded against the sides ot' the well more or less snugly, according to the closeness of their contact with each other, or, in other words, according to the nearness of their approach to a ilat or horizontal posi tion, thereby preventing any liquid from pass. ing down into the well between the said edges and its sides and any gas or liquid from passA ing upward. The central opening of said an nular plates a is a little less than the outer di` ameter of the well-tube, so that when the said plates are flat or in a horizontal position, or nearly so, their edges c will in like manner be crowded snugly against the well-tube and prevent fluids and liquids from passing between the tube and said edges c. When the annular plates are in this position, as shown in Figs.2 and 3, the well-tube will be packed, and while they remain in such position the tube itself will be rmlyheld in place, so that it cannot be easily withdrawn. ln order, now, to enable one to remove the tube, it is only necessary to raise the upper collar, A, and draw the sides ofthe platesa apart, when they will take ad 'angular position, each otl their edges (the inner and outer) being made to approach a common vertical line, which is also midway, or nearly so, ot' the width of the Iannuli of said plates. This action will have the eect of increasing the diameter of their central openings, so as to cause their edges c to recede from the sides ot' the well-tube, and also to lessen the outer diameter of the plates, so as to make their outer edges, d, fall away `from the sides of the well, thereby releasing the well-tube from all restraint. ln order to effect this disposition of the parts l provide two sets of rods, C and D, the rods C being Xed to the lower collar, B, and the rods D to the upper one, A. Both sets are placed in diametrieal lines. The rodsGC pass upward from the eollarB through the sides of the several annular plates a, and through the upper collar, A, to the surface of the earth. They are provided with stuffingboxes b b where they pass through the collar A, so as to make them work with tight joints. The rods D D are fixed to the upper collar, A, and are likewise carried to the surface ot' the earth.

When the apparatus is to be lengthened, so

as to release the well-tube, the rods D D are' drawn upward, causing the collarAto ascend in the well and causing the annular plates a to take the positions seen in Fig. l, when their edges @will recede from the well-tube and their edges d from the sidesof the well, as beforeexplained. In the meanwhile the rods G U and the lowercollar,B,are held stationary. NVhen it is desired to pack the tube the'collarB may be held stationary and the upper collar allowed to fall, forcing the plates a, into contact with each other or into, or nearly into, horizontal positions; or force may be applied to the rods D in order to force the said collar down; or the said upper collar may be held stationary and the lower one may be lifted upward by drawing on the rods G O.

In order to operate the collars and move them toward and away from each other their upper ends may be provided with screwthreads, and they may severally pass through nuts so fixed in a frameas to be capable only of rotary but not of vertical motion, so that when the nuts shall be turned the rods C or D, as the case may be, will be moved up or down about the well-tube.

Having thus described my invention, what l claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

.1. Aremovable packing for tubes of oil and other wells,'composed of annular plates united alternately at their inner and outer edges, so as tol be capable of being drawn away from each other'when the packing is to be removed, substantially as and for the purpose above described.

2. In combination, aseries of annular plates of elastic or of flexible material, connected to each other, and annular metallic collars or heads above and below them, substantially as above described.

3. In combination, a series ot" annular plates ot' elastic or exible material, connected to each other, as shown, annular metallic collars or heads above and below them, and a set of lifting-rods for each collar or head, substantially as described.

4L. 1n packing the tubes of oil or other wells,

applying the packing apparatus by bringing the packingsurface or the edges ot' the material used into, or nearly into, a Hat or horizontal position, and of collapsing and retiring the same from the sides ofthe tube and of the Well by bringing such surfaces or edges into angular positions, all substantially as above described.

rIhe above specification ot' my invention signed by me this 27th day of May, 1865.

l). SIGOURET.

Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, C. L. ToPLIFF. 

